Customer Reviews

Sonnet PodFreq FM Transmitter for iPod Photo

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased a Podfreq for my brother and was really impressed with the quality of the sound it produced and the overall design of it. I was using the Belkin Tunecast II and the Griffin iTrip.

The Belkin Tunecast was worthless and I never got a good signal from it. It also was a pain to have this little device hanging from the headphone jack, and I had to replace batteries often (not powered from the iPod).

The Griffin iTrip had better sound quality and was great for how compact it was, but only worked well in certain vehicles. I ended up selling it to a friend (which worked well in her Tacoma). Didn't work well in my Integra.

So, I decided to get a Podfreq. I've been using mine for over a year now and I haven't had any problems what-so-ever. The stand built into the base is a nice touch and makes it great for setting on a desk or a countertop. This also makes it so the antenna is sticking straight up, giving the best signal. I use it regularly on drives of 5-6 hours (with or without the power adapter). It fits nicely in the cup holder and changing stations is simple to do. since it has a mini usb and firewire connection built in I usually don't even carry the iPod cable. You can use the wall adapter with a regular usb cable to charge your iPod (one less cable to carry around).

Well, my brother's decided to slowly die similar to other people's on here. He called up Sonnets and they had him return it for repair. He got it back and it's working fine now. I am curious about other people having the same problem. Sonnets told him it was because he left it out in the cold, but I've left mine in the cold various times and have had no ill effects (knock on wood).

Some of the things that could use improvement:

No backlight, making it hard to use in low light or at night.

Using the car adapter makes it hard to fit in the cup holder (but if your cup holder has the slot for a mug handle it should fit perfectly).

Overall, a very good transmitter with better sound quality than any of the transmitters that use the headphone jack. Excellent features and design. Acts as a nice protective case.

I used my PodFreq for the iPod Photo for 6 days and then it stopped working. Thought it was the line out on my iPod first, but tested with a Monster iCarPlay and that worked fine. Also found out that the product from the Monster iCarPlay was better.

Would be returning my PodFreq

So, I tried to research this product online before buying it. Couldn't find much of anything - not even on the Sonnet website. Great sales pitch info, but not much in the way of actual "hands-on" details for the person who's going to be using it. I ordered it direct from Sonnet (not knowing exactly what I was getting) and got the car cradle, carrying pouch, and car charger as a pack for $99.

I've had it for about a week or so now, and here's what I think.

It's a great buy. I tried it in two different vehicles; I've only heard a slight crackle every now and then while idling at intersections - my guess is electrical interference from the powerlines. Not a big deal at all; my understanding is that pretty much all the FM transmitters have their issues. Sound was kind of muted on songs that I hadn't set specific EQ settings for in iTunes. My solution - just turn the volume up and problem solved until I have the chance to correct it in iTunes.

I tried it in my home and was able to get a good signal on my portable boombox; there was continuous fuzzy static noise at any volume, but you could only hear the static if you were within arms reach of the boombox. You could definitely use this at a party with a decent stereo and not have any problems.

Physical details -

It's got a mini-USB and a firewire port at the right lower side of the transmitter case. Assuming you can buy a mini-USB or firewire connector, you could hook this baby up to almost anything.

This transmitter is essentially a protective hard plastic case - negating the need to blow another 30 bucks on a separate case that you'd have to remove in order to use the transmitter. It doesn't cover the click wheel or the screen. I bought the PodShield (from Trendy Geek) static cling skin to protect the screen & face of my iPod from scratches while in the FM transmitter. It makes the fit a little tighter, but it's still a perfect fit for the 60 GB iPod.

I don't plan on taking it out again except to continue to upload more music. (Hey, I've only had my iPod a few weeks - 60 GBs is a LOT of music to upload...)

Very stable, well made clear plastic case. Front & sides are clear and the back of the case is white. Makes the iPod look almost completely white, but offers awesome protection. The retractable antenna is well thought out & doesn't stick out at all over the line of sight of the case.

It weighs 3.5 ounces (half the weight of the iPod itself); all told it still weighs less than a pound and last time I checked 500 - 600 CDs weighed substantially more.

I have now had problems with all three Sonnet PodFreq FM transmitters for iPod that I have had. The problem is basically after working OK for a month or so the output power appears to progressively decline, until I literally have to have the aerials touching before there is any reception on the FM radio.

I bought my first PodFreq in August 2004. I had had a Griffin iTrip previously and a Belkin unit which only had a choice of 4 frequencies. I saw the Podfreq on the Net and thought it would be a good alternative. I use the Podfreq to play background music, transmitting it from my iPod to a variety of FM radio/CD players in use at the time. (Sony, Akai, Philips, etc.). I generally leave it connected to the Apple iPod charger via the Firewire port while it is playing.

The PodFreq worked well for a month or two then I noticed a progressive loss of transmitting range, requiring me to place the unit closer and closer to the FM receiver, until it would only transmit a few centimeters. I tried it on several frequencies and with both aerials fully extended. Eventually I returned it to the supplier who sent it off for replacement under warranty. The replacement unit similarly worked well for a couple of months then the same progressive deterioration occurred. I returned this unit in May this year and again it was replaced under warranty.

I have only had my current PodFreq for a few months and again the same loss of transmission range has occurred. Again I have tried it on several FM receivers all with the same result. The 12 month warranty has now expired and I am wondering why this keeps happening? Is there a basic design flaw that Sonnet (and the Public!) need to be made aware of? I can believe that one bad unit is bad luck, and two may be a very bad coincidence, but three????

Since this summer we were going to be travelling through parts of the United States where radio stations were few and far between, I researched FM transmitters for the iPod. The Sonnet PodFreq fit the requirements nicely.

Easy installation, just slide the iPod down into the see-through acrylic case. The case protects the iPod, ensures that the iPod doesn't disconnect, and allows easy access to all the iPod controls.

The PodFreq uses the connector on the bottom of the iPod to access the music digitally therefore reducing noise. We found the sound crisp and clear.

As would be the case with any FM transmitter, occasionally the frequency we chose overlapped a local radio station. A quick tune to another frequency solved the problem.

My PodFreq came with a car charger that plugs into the Firewire port on the side of the PodFreq. Very nice touch.

The PodFreq remembers the station setting so you don't have to retune after turning it off.

Initially I was very satisfied with the PodFreq, but over the course of a couple of months it slowly died. In fact when I first bought it, it definitely met all of my needs. It was the only FM transmitter that was powerful enough to work over many of the radio stations that had given me problems in the past. But that soon changed. Now it won't even work on a station that is clear. This is very disappointing because I payed triple what I have spent on other FM transmitters. I am in the process of returning it for a replacement or repair. I doubt, from reading the reviews here, that this will help. I have to give it try though. Very disappointing

I have had the hardest time finding an fm transmitter that gets a clear signal, stays connected and doesn't completely drain the battery when you use it. This is it. It is wonderful!

I have had to send my PodFreq (for Gen3/40Gb iPod) back to the company in California FOUR TIMES for repairs! If you use it more than a couple of hours per week, IT WILL FAIL within 6 months of its purchase. All of a sudden the unit no longer broadcasts, to the point that you have to touch its antenna to the receiver you're trying to send to! Potentially this is the finest product of its kind; in reality it is the WORST. (You'll notice that the unit is no longer available on Amazon. They wised up quickly I think!)

This is a great product, to bad it is a little difficult to find. I have two of them and they are easy to use and work very well allowing your ipod to play through your car's audio system. (if your can is older that does not have a wire to plug your ipod into) This unit also keeps you ipod charged while in use..

I bought this iPod transmitter more than a year ago, and I use it every time I drive. It's simple to operate and finding a working frequency takes no more than 20 seconds. Because it is wireless, the sounds quality isn't as good as a cassette adapter would be; however my cassette player is broken. I only started to take notice of the lower quality within the past six months and it coincided with listening to CDs again in my car. The difference was dramatic. In addition to quality, the only option for volume control is through the car's player, and when using the transmitter, it sometimes can't be loud enough to "rock out." It has proven useful for playing my iPod in the garage on a boombox as well as in my home on my stereo set-up. Overall a decent transmitter that plays music consistently. I haven't used or heard music through other wireless transmitters.